Amazon Prime Day 2018: Tips to help you prep and save

Amazon’s pinnacle online shopping event, Prime Day, is almost here. It’s time to prep if you want to be privy to – and bag – the top bargains.

Anticipated to be bigger than ever, the Black Friday-esque event will launch at 3 p.m. EST Monday, July 16 and will run for 36 hours, an increase of six hours from 2017, with more than one million deals exclusively for Prime members around the world.

First held in 2015, the expanding consumer extravaganza will once again feature a bevy of fleeting deals on electronics, kitchen goods, apparel, appliances, furniture, toys and much more. Members will have access to the best offers ever on Alexa-enabled products, according to Amazon’s press release. Shoppers can also expect to “double the deals” on Amazon devices like Kindle and Fire tablets.

Prime Day 2018 will venture into new tangible territory with Whole Foods Markets across the country joining in the bargain bash.

“Prime members can save an additional 10 percent off sale items throughout the store, which is really a huge step for Prime Day,” says Eric Jones, co-founder of BestBlackFriday.com, a deal-tracking site. “While most of the event and shopping will take place online, this is a test for Amazon to see if it can further expand Prime Day to be more offline-focused moving forward.

If you’re wondering if sacrificing a summer day on cyber deals is worthwhile, Jones notes that in 2017, 76 percent of Prime Day prices were better than Black Friday.

Here are some tips to help you prep for Prime Day:

Sign up. To participate in Prime Day, you need to be a Prime member. If you haven’t already done so, you can sign up for a free 30-day trial at http://www.amazon.com/primeday. A full-year membership runs $119 or $12.99 a month. Students with an “.edu” email can get a free six-month Prime membership trial.

Set up your account.Plug in all pertinent information in advance, including billing/shipping address and payment options. Make sure your cart is empty before you shop and clear your browser’s cache to avoid any issues at checkout. Enabling 1-Click Ordering will help you instantly nab vanishing offers, though this feature isn’t always available on Lightning Deals — a promotion with a limited number of discount offers. “Some of the more popular deals will be sold out within minutes, so every second counts,” he says.

Share Prime perks: You can share your Prime membership and split the cost with a family member or friend. Just know that they will be able to see your order history and financial information.

Download the Amazon app.Download the app to get a sneak peek of deals days in advance. You’ll be able to “Watch” an item you may want to buy and be notified when the deal goes live. Visit amazon.com/app.

Hone in on the Prime Day deals: Items that are reduced specifically during the promotion will be distinguished with a Prime Day badge.

Add items to your list and/or cart before they go live. Add items you’re interested in buying to your List and get notified if they go on sale. Coveted Lightning Deals will launch every five minutes, and Amazon will promote future offers before they go live. If you’re tempted by an “upcoming” Lightning Deal, add it to your cart in advance. Once the deal is live, check out.

Earn some spending money: Savvy shoppers can earn up to $10 in Amazon spending credit. Install Amazon Assistant, the desktop browser extension that will send notification of deals, and you’ll earn $5 off your Prime Day purchase of 25 or more. Receive a $5 discount on select Prime Day deals when you try camera features of the Amazon App. Visit the Amazon Prime Day Guide to learn more.

Every day leading up to Prime Day, Amazon will unveil exclusive offers and deals. The following start today:

Echo Show – Save $100 on Echo Show, which brings you everything you love about Alexa, and can show you things. Make video calls or watch video flash briefings, movies and TV shows, see music lyrics, smart home cameras, photos, weather forecasts, and more. All hands-free—just ask.

Amazon Brands – Find our lowest prices on products from collections available exclusively on Amazon, including up to 25% off furniture and décor from Rivet and Stone & Beam, up to 20% off AmazonBasics items, and 30% off everyday essentials from Presto!, Mama Bear and Solimo, among others.

Prime Video, DVDs and Blu-Ray – Save up to 50% on popular movies and TV shows on digital, DVD and Blu-Ray.

Amazon Music – Prime members who haven’t yet tried Amazon Music Unlimited can get four months of the premium, on-demand service with access to tens of millions of songs and hands-free listening, for just $0.99.

Twitch Prime– Members can enjoy hundreds of hours of free gameplay as Twitch Prime gives away a free PC game every day through July 18, including titles like Pillars of Eternity and Brutal Legend. Members will also receive exclusive in-game loot for Warframe and PLAYERUNKNOWN’S BATTLEGROUNDS.

Kindle Unlimited and eBooks – Prime members who haven’t yet tried Kindle Unlimited will have access to three months of unlimited reading for just $0.99. Buy your first Kindle book and get a $10 Prime Day credit valid towards eBooks, print books and Audible.

Audible– Eligible Prime members can get their first three months at more than 65% off for $4.95 a month.